In 2024, the main SEO strategies that need to be implemented are focused on adapting to the latest technological advancements and user behaviour trends. Here are some strategies with examples and statistics:
- Search Intent Optimization: Understanding and meeting the user’s search intent is crucial. For instance, transactional and commercial keywords are on the rise, indicating a shift in user behaviour towards more action-oriented searches. Amazon, Booking, Etsy, Bestbuy, Expedia, Wayfair, etc. are such examples of websites that excel in Search Intent Optimization by understanding and meeting the user’s search intent, particularly focusing on transactional and commercial keywords.
- EEAT Compliance: Emphasizing first-hand experience and authentic content is more important than ever. Google’s EEAT guidelines prioritize experience-based content, so sharing real-life examples and case studies can boost your rankings. For instance, Wikipedia, Apple.com, Dropbox, Microsoft Accessibility (having a score of 100 out of 100 in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 evaluation), Google Accessibility, American Red Cross (they reported 100% of its digital content met WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards).
- Author Entities Recognition: Google now places more importance on the authors behind content. Linking content to recognized and knowledgeable authors can add an extra layer of trust and credibility, influencing rankings. Neil Patel, a well-known digital marketing consultant and expert, implements author attribution across his website and blog. Each article includes Neil Patel’s name, bio, and links to his social media profiles and other content. By prominently featuring authorship, Neil Patel enhances his visibility and authority in the digital marketing industry, which positively impacts his website’s SEO ranking whereas HubSpot’s blog features author attribution for each article, with author names and headshots displayed prominently. Authors also have dedicated profile pages showcasing their contributions. This not only adds credibility to HubSpot’s content but also helps establish author authority and expertise, potentially improving SEO ranking for both the authors and the website. The medium allows authors to create and publish content under their profiles. Each article includes the author’s name, bio, and a link to their Medium profile. By attributing content to specific authors, Medium enhances author visibility and credibility, which can positively impact SEO ranking both on Medium and in search engine results.
- AI Content Differentiation: With AI-generated content becoming more common, creating unique and original content is key. For example, Jarvis, an AI writing tool, hired human writers to create content for their website, acknowledging the value of human creativity. AI-Writer, an AI-powered content generation platform, acknowledged the importance of human expertise in producing compelling content. By combining the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human writers, AI-Writer was able to offer a unique content creation service that stood out in the market. Clients benefited from the speed and scalability of AI-generated content, while also enjoying the creativity and authenticity that human writers brought to the table.
- Topical Authority Building: Establishing yourself as an authority in a specific topic area is essential. Creating comprehensive topical maps and organizing content into clusters can help search engines understand your expertise. Like Shopify and Amazon, e-commerce giants have serious topical authority in the field of e-commerce. Google trusts their information and ranks them ahead of other sites for e-commerce-related searches. Their topical authority fosters trust from both search engines and users, resulting in higher SERP rankings. Despite being smaller than Amazon, Knit Picks outranks the retail giant for the keyword “knitting needles.” Knit Picks’ niche topical authority in the knitting and crafting domain has allowed it to secure the top position. Likewise, WebMD is a leading authority in the fields of health, nutrition, fitness, and medicine. WebMD has gained the trust of users seeking reliable information on these topics.
- Enhanced User Experience: UX/UI is crucial for SEO rankings as they directly impact user interaction and engagement on a website. A positive user experience, indicated by low bounce rates, longer dwell times, and fast page load speeds, signals to search engines that the content is relevant and valuable. Improving mobile page performance and overall user experience across devices is a significant ranking factor. Ensuring fast load times and a seamless user interface can lead to better engagement metrics. LinkedIn, a professional networking platform, focuses on providing a fast and reliable user experience for its members. The site’s clean design and intuitive navigation make it easy for users to connect with colleagues, explore job opportunities, and engage with industry-related content. LinkedIn’s emphasis on fast load times and seamless functionality contributes to higher user engagement and satisfaction. There are several common tools available to check the UX/UI of your website like Google PageSpeed Insights, Google Mobile-Friendly Test, Google Lighthouse, Hotjar, UsabilityHub, Optimizely. These tools provide valuable insights and feedback to help you assess and improve the UX/UI design of your website, ultimately enhancing user satisfaction and SEO performance.
- Rich Snippets and SERP Features: Optimizing for featured snippets and other SERP features can expand your visibility on the search results page. For example, using schema markup to highlight reviews or product information can capture these coveted spots. There are several tools available to validate your schema markup implementation like Schema Markup Validator and Google Rich Results Test.
- Strong Backlink Profile: Maintaining a robust SEO backlink profile continues to be a cornerstone of SEO. Quality backlinks from reputable sources signal to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. You can check your backlinks profile from Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, SEMRush, Ahref, Moz, etc.
- Regular Content Updates: Keeping content fresh and up-to-date is more important than ever. Regularly revisiting and updating your content can help maintain its relevance and ranking over time. Websites like Wikipedia, Medium, TED and Hubspot are the best examples of content-oriented websites that offer regular updates to users.
- Diversification of Content: Incorporating visuals, multimedia, and interactive elements can diversify your content and cater to different user preferences, enhancing engagement and retention. National Geographic’s website features high-quality photography, articles, and videos focused on nature, science, exploration, and culture. It offers immersive storytelling experiences that educate and inspire readers about the world around them.
These strategies are backed by the latest trends and expert insights, ensuring that your SEO efforts in 2024 are aligned with the evolving digital landscape. Implementing these strategies with a focus on quality and user experience will help you stay ahead in the competitive world of search engine rankings. VCubeWorks delivers Proven SEO Strategies for Over 1000 Websites. Elevate Your Business with Our Tailored SEO Services Today!
